The Bat & The Canary
by Shining Friendship
Summary: Bruce Wayne arrives in Starling City and instantly finds himself attracted to Laurel. They start seeing each other, and the relationship only intensifies when she learns his secret identity. Question is how will Oliver feel about all of this? Will it finally push him to reconnect with Laurel? And what about her feelings towards his alter ego? (Bruce/Laurel/Oliver)
1. Encounters

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything.

**A/N:** I posted this fic a couple of weeks ago, but after not feeling satisfied with the ending to the first chapter, I deleted it two days later. I have now reposted the story with a different ending, hoping to receive better responses this time around.

Going by Bruce's age in _The Dark Knight Rises_, there's about a ten-year age difference between him and Laurel, but I don't mind that since there's also been a significant age difference between Green Arrow and Black Canary in the comics. If you do mind, though, turn back now. And while this story is a crossover fic, I chose to post it here instead of the crossover section because it's set in the _Arrow_ universe. Furthermore, a few changes from both categories had to be made in order to make my story work, including the following:

1.) Bruce/Batman (Christian Bale) returns to Gotham after the bomb detonates so no one thinks he's dead.  
2.) He and Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) are no longer together, but she _will_ eventually appear in the story.  
3.) Laurel is no longer dating Tommy. The terms of how they broke up will be explained later on.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoy the fic. Thanks for reading!

* * *

Early one Saturday morning Laurel was at her neighborhood coffee shop, getting charged up for her sixth day straight at CNRI. After buying a large coffee and chocolate chip scone for her breakfast, she walked out of the shop and started rummaging through her purse for her keys, until she almost dropped everything upon bumping into someone.

"Sorry," the pair said to one another in unison.

Laurel looked up to find a man in his mid-thirties with long brown hair, dark brown eyes and a warm smile. It was Bruce Wayne, the infamous billionaire playboy of Gotham City himself.

"Mr. Wayne, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."

"Neither did I. Guess that'll teach me to pay attention to what's in front of me, instead of texting on my phone when I'm walking."

"What are you doing in Starling City? I didn't even know you had come to town."

"I'm here on business, and I try to leave the paparazzi at home as much as possible. I'm not usually this successful."

"I can see that."

"So, what has you out and about this early on a Saturday morning, Miss…?"

"Lance. Dinah Laurel Lance. I'm off to work."

"Yes, I've heard mention of your name a few times in the news. You're a very good attorney from what I understand. Been involved in a number of high-profile cases in the past year or so, right?"

"That's right," she nodded, almost blushing from the fact that someone like Bruce Wayne had heard of her.

"No rest for the legal system, is there?"

"Not where I work."

"It looks like your hands are pretty full. Would you like some help to your car?"

"No, I'm fine, Mr. Wayne. I don't want to derail you from your morning caffeine fix."

"Call me Bruce, and I never mind lending my help to someone who needs it."

"All right," she smiled in appreciation and handed him the small bag containing her chocolate chip scone. "Follow me."

Laurel and Bruce walked the twenty steps to her car. After unlocking it, opening the door car, and placing her coffee cup in the holder closest to the driver's seat, she turned around and he handed her the bag.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"I hope you have a pleasant stay in Starling City."

"I'll try."

She turned back around, slid into the driver's seat, and was about to shut the door when—

"Dinah?"

"Yes?"

"I know this might seem a little forward considering we just met, but would you like to go out to dinner with me sometime?"

Thrown for a curve, it took Laurel a few seconds before she could respond. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

"That's generally what it's called when someone asks you to grace them with your presence over a candlelit dinner set for two."

"I'm familiar with the concept. I'm also familiar with your track record with women."

"Another reason why I prefer to leave the paparazzi at home."

"Please don't take this the wrong way, Mr. Wayne, but I'm not looking to be your next piece of eye candy."

"Wow," he chuckled in amusement. "It's kinda hard not to take that the wrong way, Miss Lance."

"You can't be entirely surprised by my response. After all, your reputation precedes you."

"I guess it does, but for some reason I'm still hoping that you'll ignore what the tabloids say about me and accept my invitation."

"Mr. Wayne—"

"Bruce."

"As flattered as I am by your impulsive offer to take me out on a date, you don't even know me, Bruce. You just met me outside of a coffee shop, and I'm pretty sure a place like this isn't where you usually go when you're trolling for fresh meat."

"Be that as it may, you intrigue me, Dinah Laurel Lance, and I would like to be given the opportunity to get to know you."

"Call me Laurel. Everybody does."

"All right, Laurel, at the risk of getting rejected twice, will you join me for dinner tomorrow night?"

She sighed and after giving it a moment's thought, she finally said yes.

"Do you like Italian food?"

"I love Italian food."

"Great. I know the perfect place."

"Here, let me give you my address and phone number so you can find me without hiring a private investigator after this conversation is over."

Laurel reached to open her glove compartment, pulled out a pad of paper, wrote her information down and handed it to him once she was finished.

"Thanks. I'll give you a call tonight."

"Okay," she smiled with a small nod, then closed the door, started her car, and pushed the automatic button that rolled down her window.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Laurel. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow night."

Meanwhile, Oliver and John were walking up to the coffee shop when the handsome billionaire suddenly spotted his ex-girlfriend talking to someone in a black suit. His back was turned to him, though, so Ollie was unable to identify the man.

"Something wrong?" Dig wondered.

"Laurel's talking to someone."

"And that raises a red flag why?"

"It doesn't. I'm just curious who it is."

Just then, Laurel's car started pulling out of its current parking spot and the two men immediately recognized who she was talking to after he turned around and began walking towards the coffee shop.

"Bruce Wayne," Ollie spoke in just above a whisper.

"Guess you and Merlyn aren't the only billionaire playboys she knows."

"Guess not."

"What's he doing in Starling City?"

"Don't know. I didn't hear anything about his arrival on the news."

"This should be interesting…" John mumbled right before Bruce approached them.

"Well, what do you know? It's Oliver Queen."

"In the flesh," he replied as the two billionaires shook hands in a friendly greeting.

"I heard about what happened to you on that island. I'm very sorry for everything you went through."

"Thank you."

"How have things been since you've been back?"

"Good. I opened a nightclub a few months ago and it's doing very well. You should come by and check it out while you're here."

"I might just do that."

"Maybe you should bring the woman you were just talking to."

"We just met, so I'd have to ask her, but I got the feeling that the club scene isn't a real hotspot for her."

"It's not."

"I'm sorry—do you two know each other?"

"They used to date," John chimed into the conversation.

"A long time ago," Oliver added. "We're just friends now."

"And yet you're still concerned. You wouldn't be out here talking to me about her if you weren't."

"Laurel's free to date whoever she wants. I just want to make sure she's not being taken advantage of by someone whose reputation with women is—"

"—as notorious as your own?"

"Used to be," Ollie corrected him.

"Well, I can assure you that my intentions towards Laurel are pure. I've heard a lot of good things about her and I'm interested to see what she's like in person."

"She's an amazing person. I hope both of you have a good time on your date."

"I promise to get her home at a reasonable hour," Bruce smiled as the two men shook hands again.

"I'm sure you will."

With that said, Bruce nodded to John and left to go inside the coffee shop.

"From the way you two were going at it," Diggle started, "I'm surprised you didn't threaten to snap the guy's neck or something."

"It wasn't necessary. Besides, if he does hurt Laurel, snapping his neck won't be the only thing I do to him."

* * *

**A/N:** Is the story worth continuing? Please review!


	2. First Date

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own anything.

**A/N:** I forgot to mention this before, but another alteration I made from _The Dark Knight Rises_ was Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine) returning to Gotham to assist Bruce once again after Bane (Tom Hardy) & Miranda Tate/Talia al Ghul (Marion Cotillard) are defeated. He will make several appearances in this story, including this chapter. Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) will probably make a few appearances as well.

Anyways, thanks for reading!

* * *

Sunday quickly came along and Bruce called Laurel early that morning, informing her to be ready for their date at 10AM sharp because they had a private jet to catch. Needless to say, the attorney wondered what the billionaire playboy had in store for her, but he refused to tell her where they were going until they got there.

Bruce arrived at Laurel's apartment promptly at ten and was rendered speechless when she opened her front door wearing a black one-shoulder satin sheath dress. Her makeup was light and her hair was pinned up in a simple yet elegant bun.

"You look beautiful, Laurel," he commented in a soft tone while handing her a single long-stemmed red rose.

"Thank you," she smiled in appreciation, accepting the rose. "You don't look too bad yourself."

Once the pair landed in New York City five and a half hours later, a black limousine took them to a very charming yet secluded Italian restaurant an hour outside the city. After sharing a small appetizer of Bruschetta, Laurel ordered Chicken Parmesan while Bruce chose to have Linguine with Vegan Pesto.

"Enjoying everything?" he asked her halfway through their meal.

"Yes, the food's delicious. I just wasn't expecting to rack up frequent flyer miles on our date."

"It's quiet and private. I personally know the owner and his chefs are world-renowned for their Italian cuisine."

"It's lovely, Bruce, but you don't need to impress me with fancy restaurants and a trip to New York on one of your private jets. I would have been just as happy if we had stayed in Starling City and split a double bacon cheeseburger with fries at Big Belly Burger."

"I know, and that's why I chose to take you here."

Unsure of what to say in return, Laurel continued enjoying her meal until she couldn't eat another bite several minutes later. Then once their plates were cleared and the waiter poured some more red wine into their glasses, the pair waited for their stomachs to settle before having dessert. They talked about their families, funny childhood memories, and the satisfaction they got from their work. Much of what they discussed were things that made each other laugh or smile, yet there was one part of Bruce's life he hadn't touched upon thus far and the lawyer in her had been curious to know the truth since they bumped into one another the day before.

"Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Of course."

"Why did you lock yourself away in your family's mansion for eight years after Harvey Dent's death?"

Not expecting Laurel to ask him something like that, particularly on their first date, it took the handsome billionaire a few moments to sort out his thoughts before he could respond. "Because I lost the love of my life… and living a life beyond those walls without her seemed pointless."

"What changed all of that?"

"I met someone… a woman who reminded me I still have a purpose in life."

"What happened to her?"

"We broke up a few months ago. The decision was mutual."

"Do you still love her?"

"I still care about her very much, but we began to expect too much of each other and after awhile those expectations just tore us apart."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault."

* * *

When the pair returned to Starling City that evening, it was just before 11 o'clock at night, and Bruce continued to be a perfect gentleman as he walked Laurel up to her apartment.

"I had every intention of letting you down easy when I agreed to go out on this date," the attorney admitted upon reaching her front door, "but now that I see that there's more you than what the tabloids say, I'm not so sure anymore."

"Is that your cryptic way of saying you're willing to go out with me again?"

"I guess it is," she giggled.

"Then how about we split a double bacon cheeseburger with fries at Big Belly Burger Wednesday night?"

"I'm impressed. You _were_ listening to me tonight."

"Why is that so hard to believe?"

"Previous experience."

"As I recall, two of those previous experiences were with Oliver Queen and Tommy Merlyn."

"I see you Googled me before we went out."

"I also ran into one of your ex-boyfriends right after we met yesterday."

"Who?"

"Oliver. He seemed concerned about you going out with me."

"Well, the next time you see him, you can just tell him to mind his own business."

"You know, for someone who claims the two of you are still friends, you seem pretty put off by Oliver."

"There's a lot of history between us."

"Is that code for 'I don't want to talk about it'?"

Laurel sighed and remembered that Bruce shared something very personal about his own life with her earlier this evening. It was only fair that she do the same for him.

"I was really angry with him when he first came back to Starling City because of something he had done before the shipwreck. Then about a month later we shared a moment while I was working as his lawyer, and afterwards I told him that nothing can ever happen between us. He's been shutting me out ever since."

"Maybe shutting you out is his way of dealing with the situation since things didn't go the way he wanted."

"Ollie always wants what he can't have. That's never going to change."

"I saw the look in his eyes when he was talking about you to me. I think he cares about you more than you're willing to admit—maybe because you're scared of getting hurt again."

"Bruce, please don't try and psychoanalyze me after our first date."

"I'm not trying to psychoanalyze you, Laurel. I just don't want to get caught in the middle of something if your feelings for each other aren't entirely gone."

"There is nothing to get in the middle of. Ollie and I are over. It was over from the moment I found out he was cheating on me with my younger sister."

"I'm sorry," he whispered apologetically. "I didn't know."

"No, it's all right. I shouldn't have brought it up."

An awkward silence passed between the pair for a few seconds before Laurel finally found the courage to speak again.

"Tonight was really lovely, Bruce. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"I hope what I've said hasn't already chased you off."

"You don't have to worry about that. I'm not going anywhere."

"Why do I get the feeling that's not something you usually say at the end of a first date?"

"Because it's not."

"And why's that? Do you think there's something about me that sets me apart from the rest of the women you've dated?"

"I'm beginning to think so."

Surprised by his response, Laurel tried to tone down the emotion by asking, "Is that your cryptic way of saying you're interested in who I am, not just what I look like?"

"I guess it is," he chuckled in amusement. "You're a very beautiful woman, Laurel, and I admire what you do. It might be in your job description to defend others in court, but I could tell over dinner that it's more to you than that. You want to help people—people who can't defend themselves. You have no idea how rare that is."

"You really mean that, don't you?"

"I do."

The look in Bruce's brown eyes was all the evidence the attorney needed to know he was telling the truth. Swept up in the moment, she took a step closer to him, cupped the back of his head with her right hand, and kissed him. It was a soft, slow kiss that the handsome billionaire immediately responded to. He deepened the kiss by slipping his tongue in her mouth, and pressed one hand against the small of her back to bring Laurel closer to him while the other hand caressed her cheek. When they finally came up for air a few moments later, her head was spinning and her knees almost gave out—reactions she didn't expect to have with Bruce.

"Good night, Laurel," he whispered a breath's space away from her lips.

"Good night."

She watched as he walked down the hallway towards the elevator, and then turned around to unlock her front door. Once inside, Laurel shut the door and pressed her back up against it. Closing her eyes and exhaling evenly, she tried to steady her racing heartbeat. Bruce was nothing like she expected him to be after their first encounter. He was sweet, attentive, impressed with her work, and a perfect gentleman. Despite what the tabloids labeled him as, there was more to this man than meets the eye. And even though Laurel didn't know what that something was just yet, the mystery that was Bruce Wayne instinctively drew her in like moths to a flame.

* * *

"Good evening, Master Wayne," Alfred greeted Bruce as he entered his penthouse suite twenty minutes later. "How was your date with Miss Lance?"

"Very nice. I look forward to seeing her again."

"I have no doubt of that," the butler smiled while he removed the billionaire's jacket and put it away. "I saw the articles you were reading about her before you left."

"Curious, were you?"

"A bit. She seems quite lovely, though."

"She is. I'm glad I bumped into her."

"Do you need me to do anything else for you tonight?"

"No, but tomorrow morning I want you to get in touch with Fox and tell him to meet us out here after Tuesday's board meeting. Then I want you to start digging up everything you can on Oliver Queen and his activities since he's returned to Starling City."

"May I ask why?"

"I met him yesterday and got a funny feeling about him. I think he's hiding something."

"Well, you're no stranger to keeping secrets yourself, Master Wayne."

"You know why I keep secrets, Alfred."

"This sudden interest you have in Mr. Queen wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that he's Miss Lance's ex-boyfriend, would it?"

"Research first, prying later."

* * *

**A/N:** Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please review!


	3. Rescue & Revelation

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own anything.

**A/N: **Only two chapters into the fic and I was pleasantly surprised to see readers already supporting the Bruce/Laurel relationship. Let's just hope the support continues to grow as the story progresses. ;) Truth be told, I'm a die-hard Green Arrow/Black Canary shipper, but I will admit it's nice to see Laurel with someone different—especially someone who isn't Tommy. Lol! Anyways, I'll finish off this author's note by saying thank you for all of the wonderful support so far and I hope you enjoy the next chapter.

Happy New Year!

* * *

The first half of Laurel's week went by slowly, yet when Wednesday finally came along she was eager to see Bruce again. As she was preparing to leave CNRI that late afternoon, Joanna De La Vega approached her, ready to ask her something.

"Hey, a few of us are going out for drinks tonight to celebrate the Brightman case. Wanna tag along?"

"Sorry, I can't."

"Laurel, you haven't wanted to do anything but work since you and Tommy broke up. Don't you think it's time you start moving on?"

"Joanna, you don't understand. I can't go out with you tonight because I already have plans."

"_Really_? Who with?"

"I never said I was meeting someone."

"Oh, you're definitely meeting someone. I can tell by the look in your eyes, so spill it. Who's the new mystery man in your life?"

"No one," she poorly lied. "He's not even from around here."

"He's a foreigner?"

"No, he just doesn't live in Starling City. He's here on business for a few weeks."

"Where's he from?"

"Joanna, stop trying to play _20 Questions_ with me. I am not telling you anything—at least not until I know how I feel about him."

"Fine, I'll stop. But as soon as you _do_ know, I want _all_ the dirt."

The brunette simply threw her best friend a teasing smile before she started walking away, her thoughts drifting right back to Bruce Wayne.

* * *

Just as he promised her Sunday night, Bruce met Laurel for their second date at Big Belly Burger. She ordered an Avocado-Bacon Cheeseburger, while he had the Veggie Burger, and they shared a tower of onion rings. Over dinner they talked about how their week had gone thus far, his desire for Laurel to meet Alfred, and her early childhood living in Gotham before Quentin decided to move his family to Starling City.

"Wow, I had no idea Commissioner Gordon and your father were such good friends."

"Well, they worked together on the force for a long time."

"It's nice to hear they still keep in touch even after all these years."

"And yet you seem a little surprised by the whole thing. Don't you have any long-distance friends that you stay in contact with?"

"I don't have many friends, so maintaining a long-distance relationship with someone hasn't been a real challenge for me."

"Not yet anyway."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing."

"No, tell me."

"I think you know what it means."

"You're wondering where this relationship will go after I leave Starling City and we're no longer bumping into each other on the street."

"The thought did cross my mind after my best friend started asking questions about you earlier."

"Laurel—"

"I know it's only our second date, and part of me wasn't even expecting this relationship to go anywhere since we do live in different cities, but—"

"Can I get a word in?"

"Sorry."

"I don't want to stop seeing you just because I live in Gotham."

"You don't?"

"Of course not."

"But how are we gonna make it work? I mean, you have Wayne Enterprises and I'm a lawyer working all hours of the week. Our schedules are crazy."

"That doesn't mean we can't still see each other. Look, I can come out to Starling City and see you whenever I'm available and I can send my jet out to pick you up whenever your caseloads are light. It'll be fine."

"No, you don't have to do that, Bruce. Besides, I don't want you spending that kind of money just so you can continue to see me. It wouldn't feel right to me."

"All right, then why don't we see where things take us while I'm here and before I leave, we'll discuss it again?"

Seeing that as a fair compromise, Laurel nodded her head in agreement. "Okay."

* * *

"I had a good time tonight," the handsome billionaire commented after they finished their meal fifteen minutes later and were walking out of the restaurant together.

"So did I."

"Then how does seafood on the pier Friday night sound?"

"It sounds wonderful."

"Great," he smiled, pleased to see that their earlier conversation hadn't scared her off. "Would you like me to drive you home?"

"No, my apartment's only a few blocks away. I probably need to burn off the calories from that cheeseburger I ate anyway."

"Not from where I'm standing."

"You're a riot," she spoke sarcastically before rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"I'll see you Friday," he whispered before leaning in to give Laurel a kiss. It was a good, long one that made her melt.

When the kiss ended several moments later, she had the same reaction she did the last time they kissed yet did her best to not show it in front of him.

"See you Friday."

* * *

Laurel was about two blocks away from her apartment building when she suddenly felt someone pulling her into a dark alley. She was pushed up against a brick wall, a 6-inch butcher knife in her face, and three street thugs all dressed in black grinning at her with devilish eyes.

"Hey there, baby doll," the one holding the knife snickered. "Wanna show us a good time?"

Filled with rage, Laurel kneed him where the sun doesn't shine, causing him to cry out in pain and drop the knife. She stepped on her second assailant's foot with her three-inch heels, elbowed him in the gut and he went down like a rock. The third assailant was too quick for her, though. He quickly grabbed her from behind and pressed his own knife against her throat. Unable to move as fear started to set in, Laurel could feel his harsh breathing on her neck.

"Stupid bitch!" he angrily hissed.

She was shoved to the ground and the fabric of her black coat was yanked so she would roll onto her back. Now standing over her, the street thug bent down to her level with the four-inch blade slowly trailing down her dress, acting like it was foreplay.

"Guess we're gonna have to do this the hard way, huh?"

"_Guess again_," a gruff voice said from behind right before Laurel saw someone in a black bat-like mask, costume and cape rip the armed assailant off of her, who dropped his knife.

The masked man threw heavy punches at her attacker until he rendered him unconscious with a knockout blow to the head. He then finished the job by shooting a Bat-Dart in both necks of the two thugs who were already down from Laurel's self-defense moves. With all three men no longer conscious, he turned his attention towards the damsel and knelt down to her level to check on her. To his relief, she was left unscathed except for a few minor scrapes and bruises.

While he helped her sit up, the attorney felt light-headed and overwhelmed with emotion. She faced the man who saved her and finally knew who it was. It was the Batman. But what was he doing in Starling City?

Concern in his eyes, he softly caressed her cheek and asked if she was all right.

No sooner had the question escaped his lips did all of her surroundings go dark and she collapsed forward, falling straight into Batman's arms.

* * *

Hours later, Laurel regained consciousness and quickly realized that she was in her apartment, lying on her red couch with a white microfleece throw on top of her to help keep her warm. She could tell it was the middle of the night by the fact that her living room was pitch black—apart from the moonlight seeping through the windows.

Confused with how she got there in the first place, Laurel scanned her apartment until she noticed someone standing ten feet away from her, most likely waiting for her wake up. The mysterious figure began walking towards her until he was two feet in front of her and she could now recognize who it was. It was Bruce…dressed in the Batman costume minus the mask.

"Don't be afraid, Laurel," he calmly whispered, "I'm not gonna hurt you."

Hurt her? Hurt was the _last_ word she would use to describe this moment.

As a million thoughts started reeling through her mind, the Dark Knight just stood there, wondering what Laurel would say to him once the initial shock of his secret identity wore off.

"Bruce, you're…" she started say about a minute later. "…you're the Batman?"

"Surprise."

* * *

**A/N:** For those of you who are shocked and wondering why I had Bruce reveal his secret identity to Laurel this soon, I chose to do that because I felt it was in character for the show, like when Oliver revealed his secret identity to John at the end of **1x03:** _Lone Gunman_.

Please review!


	4. Animosity & Understanding

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own anything.

**A/N:** After some of the shocked responses I got from the last chapter, I was a little hesitant to post this chapter and considered deleting the story. However, once I explained my reasons for why I ended Chapter 3 the way did to those reviewers, they understood, and I was encouraged to update the fic again. :) I know Bruce revealing his secret to Laurel so soon was unexpected and out of character, but it was always my intention to have her learn he's Batman early on. Plus, I felt it was in character for the show since Oliver revealed his secret identity to Diggle at the end of **1x03:** _Lone Gunman_. Anyways, I hope my decision doesn't discourage anyone from reading further because your continued support is what inspires me to keep the story moving forward.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy!

* * *

"_You're the Batman_?"

"Look, I know this is a lot to take in—"

"A lot to take in?" Laurel repeated before ripping the white blanket off of her, turning on a lamp so they were no longer in the dark, and standing up from the couch to face him. "You drop a _bomb_ on me and you expect me to act like it's no big deal? I mean, what did you think was going to happen once I found out the truth? That I would fall into your arms, call you my hero, and live happily ever after with you?"

"I didn't know what to expect, but I was hoping that you would understand."

"Why on _Earth_ would I understand this?"

"Because we both know what it's like to lose the people we love and what it's like to want to seek justice for others after dealing with those loses."

"Don't you _dare _use Sara's death or my mother abandoning us to try to help me understand why you go out and fight crime in a bat mask every night."

"Laurel, I have been more honest with you in the past four days than I have with almost anyone else in my entire life. Doesn't that mean something to you?"

"Should it?"

"I care about you and I thought you cared about me."

"I thought I did too, but I guess I was wrong."

"Please don't do this. I don't want to lose someone else in my life—not when I just found you."

"I wasn't the one who did this, Bruce," she shakily spoke, her eyes brimming with tears. "You did it all on your own."

"I—"

"No, don't say anything else. I don't want to hear it."

"If you just let me explain why—"

"Stop it. I am through listening to you."

Judging by the cold look in her hazel green eyes, Bruce knew it was true. She was done listening to him. She wanted nothing more to do with him. And despite the fact that he had only known this beautiful attorney for a few days, he could already feel his heart breaking—just like it had so many times before.

"Just leave and don't come back. I don't ever want to see you again."

* * *

Thea Queen was out shopping at the mall with her friend Margo late Saturday afternoon when she suddenly spotted her brother's ex sitting alone in a small coffee shop, who appeared to be deep in thought. Deciding to see how she was, the teen told her friend to head over to _Forever 21_ without her and she would catch up in a bit. Although confused, Margo agreed and walked away. Once she was gone, the young heiress stepped inside the shop, pulled up a seat next to Laurel, and sat down beside her.

"Thea, hey," the attorney greeted her, snapping her back to reality. "I didn't see you there. How are you?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing."

"Sorry. I guess I was a little lost in my own thoughts."

"Anything you want to talk about?"

"No, I'm fine."

"You know, for a lawyer, you really suck at lying."

"Do you always have to be nosy and perceptive when it comes to other people's business?"

"What can I say? It's a gift."

"Hmm."

"C'mon, Laurel, talk to me. No matter how much you may not want to, we both know you'll feel better once you get whatever's bothering you off your chest."

She studied her for a moment, unsure if she should open up to her ex-boyfriend's younger sister, yet she finally decided that she needed to vent.

"I met someone a week ago and he asked me out right off the bat. I said yes, and our first date went really well, so I agreed to see him again. We had a good time on our second date, but afterwards he told me something very personal about his life, and now…"

"You're reevaluating everything you thought you knew about him?"

"Basically."

"All right, then let me ask you this: Does the information he told you change the way you feel about him?"

"It changes everything. He's a completely different person to me now."

"Is what he's doing wrong?"

It took Laurel several seconds to respond, but she knew the answer right away. "No, in fact, it's just the opposite."

"Well, if what he's doing isn't wrong and you still have feelings for the guy, what's the problem?"

"I never said I had feelings for him."

"You didn't have to. I could see it on your face. So the real question is why are you looking for obstacles when you still care about this guy?"

"I've known him for a week, Thea. How much can you really care about someone when you've only known them for a week?"

"Ollie fell in love with you the first moment he saw you."

Upon hearing that, the attorney slipped into silence again.

"Guess we don't get to choose who we fall in love with, huh? It just sort of happens."

Still powerless to say anything in return, she took a gulp of her lukewarm coffee.

"Laurel, if you care about this guy and you still have feelings for him, don't let this thing—whatever it is—stop you from having a relationship with him. After everything Tommy and my brother have put you through, you deserve true happiness. Go find it."

* * *

Later that same day Bruce is staring out a window of his penthouse suite, thinking about Laurel and her reaction to his secret identity, when he hears a knock at the door. He goes to open it because he gave Alfred the night off and finds Laurel on the other side. The two are quiet for a moment, unsure of what to say to each other, until she finally asks if she can come in. He says yes and then moves aside so she can enter. Bruce politely offers to take her coat and helps her take it off after she agrees. Once her beige coat is hung up, he returns to where Laurel is standing in the middle of the room, yet decides to keep a few feet of distance between them in case she still doesn't feel comfortable around him. Before either of them knows it, they're apologizing to one another at the same time.

"Why are you sorry?" he wondered. "I'm the one who dropped a bomb on you, remember?"

"I know, but I overreacted. I should have taken the news better than I did, especially since you had just saved me from almost getting raped."

"No, you had every right to be angry. I was keeping a big secret from you—"

"To protect me," she softly interjected. "I understand that now. And considering how badly I reacted to the whole thing, I wouldn't be surprised if you never wanted to see me again."

"I would never want that."

"The point is, it's your secret and you have a right to choose who you want to share it with."

"You don't regret that I told you?"

"No. I'm glad you told me the truth, and I want you to know that your secret's safe with me."

"I know it is. I trust you."

"I trust you too," the lawyer smiled, taking a few steps closer to him.

"What changed your mind?"

"A friend did. She helped me realize that what we share could be something special and I shouldn't let anything get in the way of that, particularly when I admire what you do."

"You do?"

"Yes, but there's still one more thing I need to know."

"Anything."

"Why did you decide to reveal your secret to me so soon after we met?"

"You mean, besides wanting to receive the heartwarming response I got from you?"

Rolling her eyes at him, she said, "Besides that."

"I spent eight years of my life in isolation after Rachel died, waiting and hoping for my dying day to come along so that I could finally be reunited with her and my parents. But after I met Selina, Alfred told me that I needed to let someone in, let someone get close if I was to ever find happiness. I found happiness with Selina for awhile, but the most important thing I learned by being with her and having no secrets between us was that I no longer felt alone. I no longer felt dead inside…and I guess part of me just wanted that feeling back with someone I could trust, someone who I thought could carry my secret and not have it change the way they feel about me."

"It doesn't change the way I feel about you. It just makes me admire you even more."

Caressing her cheek with his thumb, he whispered, "I don't deserve you, Laurel."

On the verge of tears now, she pressed her own hand against his. "Yes, you do, Bruce. You do."

Unable to fight his desires any longer, the handsome playboy closed the small space between them and pulled her into a deep, passionate kiss—one that was so sensual Laurel knew exactly what he wanted and what was coming next.


	5. Reactions

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own anything.

**A/N:** I'm sorry it took me so long to get this chapter posted, you guys, but I lost my writing muse for a couple of weeks. I've also been dealing with some family issues lately. Anyway, I'm back now and I hope you enjoy the next installment. Thanks for reading!

* * *

Oliver closed his bedroom door and was headed towards the kitchen for breakfast when his younger sister approached him in the hall, her iPhone 5 in hand.

"Have you spoken to Laurel lately?" Thea wondered.

"No, why?"

"I saw her at the mall yesterday. She was sitting alone and it looked like she had a lot on her mind, so I decided to sit down and talk to her for a bit."

"Is she okay?"

"Oh, she couldn't be better."

"Why's that?"

"Because I gave her advice about something—or should I say _someone_—and I think it worked."

"Speedy, stop trying to beat around the bush and just tell me what's going on with Laurel."

The teen handed her iPhone to Ollie, which had an article she was reading on the screen, and said, "She's dating Bruce Wayne."

* * *

Laurel awoke in Bruce's hotel room—more specifically in his bed—to the sound of birds chirping and a view of the city surrounded by clear blue, sunny skies. She rolled onto her side and found him staring at her with a warm smile on his face.

"Hey."

"Hey," she smiled back affectionately. "Sleep well?"

"Very. I slept next to the most beautiful lawyer in all of Starling City."

"That wasn't the only thing you did last night."

"No, it wasn't," he chuckled and wrapped his arms around her.

"How long were you watching me sleep?"

"I don't know."

"I hope I wasn't snoring."

"Angels don't snore."

"How many times have you used that line on women the next morning?"

"A few, but this is the first time I really meant it."

Surprised by his words, the attorney was unable to say anything in return.

"Do you regret last night, Laurel?"

"Do you regret telling me your secret?"

"Not for a second."

"I don't regret last night, either."

Pleased to hear that, the handsome billionaire caressed her cheek with his thumb, leaned in close, and kissed her soundly on the lips.

When they parted moments later, she cupped his cheek and said, "You're a wonderful man, Bruce. You deserve every happiness in the world for what you've done as the Batman."

"Thank you, but there's a lot you still don't know about me and vice versa."

"I'm hardly a mystery."

"Don't sell yourself short, because I get the feeling there's much more to Dinah Laurel Lance than meets the eye."

* * *

Later that same morning Laurel had just finished getting ready to go shopping with Joanna when she heard someone come into her apartment and slam the front door shut.

"Laurel!" her father yelled out.

The brunette entered her living room and found him holding up the Sunday paper with a picture of her and Bruce kissing just outside Big Belly Burger.

"What the hell is this?"

"Okay, before you start giving me a lecture—"

"First Queen, then Merlyn, and now you're dating Bruce Wayne? Have you completely lost your mind?"

"For your information, Bruce has been wonderful to me. A perfect gentleman, actually."

"A perfect gentleman? You're dating a billionaire playboy—one whose reputation with women I don't have to remind you of."

"You're judging Bruce solely based on what _People Magazine_ and _Access Hollywood_ say about him."

"I don't care what celebrity gossip says about him. The only thing I need to know is he uses women, and I'm not going to let my daughter be the next one he targets."

"He's not going to use me, Dad. Bruce cares about me."

"A guy like that would say _anything_ to get you into bed, Laurel, which is why I can't believe after everything your last two boyfriends put you through that you would even give him the time of day—let alone date him."

"Bruce isn't Oliver or Tommy. He's not going to hurt me."

"Yes, he will. The sooner you realize that, the better off you'll be, because men like Bruce Wayne don't change. They meet women, have their fun, and then they toss them out like yesterday's garbage. And I'll tell you something else. If he ever does hurt you, I'll make him wish he never set foot in Starling City."

* * *

Laurel and Joanna were walking out of _Pottery Barn_ together, both of them carrying a bag of items they had just purchased, when Laurel spotted Oliver approaching the store. The bright smile on her face quickly faded away once their eyes met, as she knew he had come there to see her.

"Joanna, I think I'm gonna have to cancel our lunch plans."

"Are you sure? I can stay behind and wait."

"No, I've got a feeling this conversation might take awhile. Just go on home."

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye."

The attorney watched her best friend leave and then returned her attention to Oliver, who was now waiting for her to walk over to him. She complied with his silent request, yet an unhappy look was written on her face.

"Most people call when they want to meet with someone, Ollie."

"I didn't mean to interrupt your afternoon with Joanna. I just wanted to talk to you for a few minutes."

"Let me guess: You're here to discuss my front page headlines."

"I met Bruce after right the two of you bumped into each other last Saturday."

"He told me. What's your point?"

"Wayne isn't a good guy, Laurel. He's only going to hurt you."

"You have a lot of nerve saying that when _you're_ the one who cheated on me with Sara."

"You know about his reputation with women. Do you really want to become another notch on his bedpost?"

"That's not what I am to him."

"How do you know? How well could you know him after one week?"

"You knew Helena Bertinelli five _milliseconds_ before you started dating her."

"Yes, and look how fast my relationship ended with her. It ended just as quickly as it started because I didn't know who she really was."

"Those are your issues, not mine."

"I'm trying to be your friend here and protect you from making the same mistakes I've made."

"And that's the only time you're willing to be my friend, isn't it? When you think I'm in trouble. Other than that, you're emotionally unavailable for me or anyone else in your life."

"I care about you very much, Laurel. I don't want to see you get hurt by this guy."

"Cut the white knight act, Ollie. I know what this is really about. You're not trying to protect me from Bruce. You're jealous of him. You just don't want to admit it."

Having nothing more to say to him, the lawyer ended their conversation there, walked away, and never looked back.

* * *

"You told Miss Lance you're Batman?" Alfred asked Bruce with a stunned look on his face while the two men were standing out on the private balcony attached to the billionaire's penthouse suite. "You barely know her."

"She accepts my secret identity and she still wants to be with me."

"But how can you be sure she's not going to do the same thing Miranda Tate did to you?"

"Laurel isn't Miranda."

"This isn't like you, Master Wayne. Why are you suddenly interested in telling your deepest secrets to someone you hardly know?"

"I trust her and I think she can help us."

"Help us with your latest mission? You mean, you're actually going to tell her why you came to Starling City in the first place?"

"Yes, and I'd appreciate it if you would support my decision, Alfred."

"Why would I support a decision so impulsive that I feel like I should have Arkham Asylum on speed dial?"

"I realize this is something I wouldn't normally do, but I know in my gut that trusting Laurel is the right thing to do."

"She reminds you of Rachel, doesn't she? That's why you feel so drawn to her."

"There are even moments when I think she and Selina could become friends."

"I'll be sure to mention that to Miss Kyle the next time she tries to rob us."

"Laurel has this desire to bring justice to her city, to really make a difference in the world. She wants to do more. I can see it in her eyes every time we talk about one of her cases. I think by joining our efforts, it will help her figure out who she really is and find her true calling in life."

"So, what are you suggesting I do, Master Wayne? Ask Fox to help you create a costume for Miss Lance and then cheer on the sidelines while the two of you fight crime together?"

"Of course not. I would never want to put Laurel in the line of fire and let her make the same sacrifices I've made unless it was something she wanted."

"Yet you still believe that by showing this young woman the darker side of your world, it will uncage the songbird and help us with your mission?"

"Perhaps in more ways than you thought," Lucius interrupted, who had just come outside with a manila folder in his hands.

"What do you mean?" Bruce asked.

"It seems that your new girlfriend has met this man in the hood everyone in Starling City's been talking about."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Alfred chimed into the conversation again.

"The train doesn't stop there, though. According to the information I've gathered from my local contacts, Miss Lance not only knows him, she's worked with him before."

* * *

Oliver came through the front door and into the foyer of his family's mansion to find his sister walking towards him, eager to know what happened.

"How did things go with Laurel?"

"About as uncomfortable as I expected it would."

"Couldn't convince her to ditch Bruce Wayne and come back to you, huh?"

"Laurel and I are just friends now. She's free to be with whoever she wants. I can't force her to leave him because—"

"You're jealous?"

Letting out an soft sigh, he looked at Thea and was unable to make himself to deny the claim.

"Ollie, you've been in love with Laurel since the first moment you laid eyes on her. Of course you're going to be jealous when another billionaire playboy comes along and starts romancing the love of your life."

"I chose to be distant with Laurel all this time because I thought it was the best thing for both of us. I didn't want to hurt her again after everything she's been through because of me."

"This probably won't make you feel any better, but you should know that I encouraged Laurel not to stop seeing him when she was torn over something personal he had told her."

"Why?"

"I didn't know it was Bruce Wayne when we talked. She never told me his name. I just assumed it was some ordinary guy. If I had known she was referring to was him, I never would have—"

"It's okay. You don't have to apologize. You were trying to help out a friend. I get that."

"So what are you going to do next? Fight fire with fire, or pretend like it's no big deal and hope Laurel will eventually come around?"

"I think I'm going to stick with your original advice and keep showing her the new me."

"Then I better get on Google and start making you that list of trendy places to propose."

"Don't get too ahead of yourself there, Speedy."

With a teasing grin on his sister's face, Oliver watched Thea leave the foyer until he heard his cell go off. He brought the phone to his ear and answered, "What is it, Dig?"

"We've got company."

"Someone's at the nightclub?"

"No. The Batman's been spotted in Starling City."


	6. Aim

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own anything.

**A/N: **You guys must _hate_ me after making you wait so long for the next installment, but several things attributed to my delay: I started school at the end of January, I was moving, work got incredibly hectic, and I've been frustrated with the way the writers have been handling Laurel's character on the show (with the exception of **1x13: **_Betrayal_—I loved that episode). So, because of all of this, it took several weeks for me to write the sixth chapter. Anyways, I'm really sorry for the hiatus, and I hope this was worth the wait.

Thanks for reading!

* * *

Bruce and Laurel were walking down a long hallway filled with office spaces until they finally reached an office at the end of the hall—the billionaire's temporary office during his stay in Starling City. He was about to open one of the black double doors when she placed her hand on top of his wrist.

"Bruce, we don't have to do this if they're uncomfortable with meeting me."

"Laurel, I want you to be involved in this part of my life. I wouldn't have told you my secret if I didn't."

"I know, but after the way you described Alfred's reaction to the whole thing, I've got a feeling he's not going to trust me no matter what I say to him."

"If Alfred and Lucius see half of what I see in you, they're going to love you. Trust me."

His encouraging words made her smile, as she mentally tried to ready herself for the "audition." Bruce opened the door and allowed Laurel to go in first. She saw an older African-American man sitting at a large silver desk, wearing reading glasses while he worked on a laptop—at least until he heard them enter, at which point he stopped typing and took off his glasses. Standing on the opposite side of the desk was an older white gentleman, who Laurel presumed was Alfred due to his attire.

Lucius smiled, stood up, and walked around the desk to approach the pair. "Good afternoon, Mr. Wayne. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Lance."

"Likewise, Mr. Fox."

"Please, call me Lucius."

"And you may call me Alfred," the butler added. "Master Wayne has told us many wonderful things about you, Miss Lance."

"He's spoken very highly of you as well."

"Has he now? Well, that's certainly news to me. You wouldn't be turning soft, would you, Master Wayne?"

"Of course not, Alfred. I just don't want Laurel thinking I hate every person I come into contact with."

"Just every other person you come into contact with."

"That's why Mr. Wayne never spoke to me while he was living like a hermit in his family's mansion for eight years," Fox chimed back into the conversation.

"Maybe you two should just save yourself some time and write down a list of all the reasons why Laurel shouldn't be in a relationship with me," the billionaire sarcastically suggested

"Don't tempt us."

"And here I thought I was going to be the one dodging bullets," the attorney smiled at the older men, noticeably easing up.

"Not to worry, Miss Lance," Lucius chuckled, touching her shoulder. "I'm sure in time you'll be joining us."

"I look forward to it."

Alfred took a few steps closer to the pair and studied Laurel for a brief moment before saying, "Miss Lance, let me ask you a question: If you were faced with a situation similar to the one you were in with Cyrus Vanch and the same risks were involved, would you still want to go after that criminal?"

"Absolutely. I knew the risks when I went up against Vanch. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat if it means I helped put criminals in the only place they deserve to rot for the rest of their miserable lives."

Seeing the fire in Laurel's eyes combined with the firm tone of her response pleased the butler. "I apologize if my reaction to Master Wayne telling you his secret made you feel apprehensive about meeting me. It's just that I've always loved him like a son, and after everything he's been through, I didn't want him trusting the wrong person."

"I know I can't earn your trust overnight, Alfred, but I promise you that Bruce's secret is safe with me."

"On the contrary, Miss Lance, I'm starting to see why he trusted you with the truth so quickly. You have a fighting spirit and an impenetrable drive to seek justice. You're going to do this city great justice someday. I can feel it."

* * *

"It doesn't make any sense," Oliver said to Diggle and Felicity in his basement lair while the pair watched him pace around. "Why would the Batman suddenly show up in Starling City after not being seen in Gotham for eight years?"

"Maybe he decided to branch out," Dig expressed half-jokingly, which didn't amuse Ollie in the least.

"That was more of a rhetorical question, but thank you for pointing out the obvious."

"Maybe he found out about the list," Felicity jumped into the conversation, "and decided to lend you a hand—you know, without actually telling you he's helping you."

"Yeah, but if that's the case, how did he get his hands on a copy of the list or learn about it in the first place?" the ex-soldier wondered.

"He isn't here because of the list," Oliver concluded, staring at an online article with a picture of the Batman on one of his computer screens.

"How do you know?"

"Because if he's anything like me, his mission will be connected to something that started back in Gotham and ended up here. We just have to find the smoking gun."

"How do you propose we do that?"

"You guys could go into stealth mode for awhile and see where that leads you," the blonde suggested.

"Oliver, if you plan on going head-to-head with someone like the Batman, we need to explore every option before there's no turning back. After all, we don't even know what he's up against yet."

"It doesn't matter. He brought his mission to my city. I'm involved in this whether we know all the facts of the situation or we don't."

Finished talking, the billionaire walked over to the wooden chest containing his costume and equipment, then began pulling everything out that he needed.

"You're gonna go bat hunting now?"

"Witnesses say he saved a woman matching Laurel's description last Wednesday night. I'm gonna go talk to her and find out what happened."

"As the Hood?"

"Why can't you go as plain old Oliver Queen?" Felicity added.

"Because I don't think she'll tell me the truth as myself, and I want to know every detail of what happened that night, so I need to confront her as the Vigilante."

"Okay, someone's going to have to walk me through that little charade."

Diggle sighed and studied Ollie. "You really think Laurel's gonna open up to you again after the way you ended things with her over the Vanch incident?"

"I don't know, but I have a better shot of getting the truth this way, and that's the only thing that matters right now."

With his costume, quiver, and bow in hand, he told the pair not to wait up for him and left go change, leaving Diggle and Felicity to think about the potential situation in front them.

"So, how long do you think we'll have to wait before the bats and arrows start flying?" the tech chick wondered.

"With Laurel thrown into the mix? Blink and you'll miss it."

* * *

"I don't care what it takes," Detective Lance barked over a cordless phone at SCPD. "Just get it done stat."

With a concerned look on his face, Detective Lucas Hilton walked over to his partner's desk right after he finished the call. "Don't you think it's about time you give this rest? You've been here since yesterday morning. Go home, get some sleep."

"I can't sleep," Quentin said before he got up from his seat to pour himself another cup of coffee. "Not when I know there are now two vigilantes out roaming the streets of Starling City."

"I want to stop these guys just as much as you do, but what you're doing isn't healthy. You're becoming obsessed with them."

"I'm trying to catch killers—men who think they put on a mask and take the law into their own hands whenever they feel like it."

"And what happens after we catch them? Who's it gonna be next?"

"You sound like Laurel."

"Well, if you won't listen to me, then the least you could do is listen to her."

"I am gonna listen to her. I'm gonna listen intently while she tells me what happened last Wednesday."

"You think she's the woman Batman saved that night?"

"Oh, I know she is, because if there's one thing I've learned from all of this, it's that my daughter attracts vigilantes like bees to honey."

"Just be careful with what you say to her. Your plan to catch the Hood last time not only got Laurel kidnapped by Cyrus Vanch, it cost you her trust for months. I don't want to see that happen again, for both of your sakes."

"I appreciate your concern, Lucas, but I've made up my mind and I know what I'm doing. I'm not gonna stop until both of those bastards are locked up and away from my daughter for good."

* * *

Laurel was standing alone on the rooftop of her apartment building, gazing at the clear night sky while she thought about everything that had happened between her and Bruce since the moment they bumped into each other and wondered what was in store for them now that she knew his secret identity. The brunette was so deep in thought that she didn't even hear the door open and shut when Bruce joined her outside.

"When you said you wanted to come up here for a few minutes to clear your head, I didn't know a few minutes meant an hour in Laurel Lance time."

"Sorry," she smiled, walking towards him. "Guess I just lost track of time."

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"What were you thinking about?"

"Us. Everything that's happened since the moment we met."

"Anything specific?"

"Why did you really come to Starling City? I'm assuming that your long-extended business trip is a cover-up for the real reason you came all the way out here."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about over dinner tonight."

"Well, there's no time like the present."

"Before I tell you, there's something I'd like to know first."

"Shoot."

"What do you know about the Hood?"

The attorney's heart nearly skipped a beat just at the mention of the green-hooded vigilante, yet she did her best to keep a straight face in front of him. "What makes you think I know the Hood?"

"Laurel, it's okay. Fox told me a few days ago that you've worked with him before."

"How did he find out that I've worked with the Hood?"

"He has friends in the Starling City Police Department and—"

"—they let him know."

"I'm not trying to interrogate you or put you on the spot. I just found it interesting that I'm not the first vigilante you've come into contact with."

"It wasn't like I planned it. The first time we worked together, he sought me out."

"How many times have you worked together?"

"Three, but it's over now. He ended our partnership months ago because he didn't want to see me get caught in the crossfire of his missions."

"He seems to care a lot about you."

"Am I detecting a hint of jealousy, Mr. Wayne?"

"Not jealousy, just concern."

"Bruce, there might be a significant age difference between us, but I wasn't born yesterday."

"So if he ever asked you to help him again, would you do it?"

"I can't say that I wouldn't, but that's only because I want to help make this city safer."

"What if I told you there was a way you could help me make the city safer?"

"How?"

"Do you know who Dr. Harleen Quinzel is?"

"She was a psychiatrist who worked at Arkham Asylum until she was fired a few years ago when the medical board found her methods too erratic and extreme."

"With one patient in particular."

"The Joker."

"The staff said Quinzel became completely obsessed him during their sessions. She would stay with him for days at a time, refuse to see any other patients, had pictures of him hanging on every wall inside her house."

"What happened to her? She obviously didn't try to help the Joker escape while she was working there."

"Because escape isn't what he ultimately wants. He desires chaos and panic—no matter who sets it in motion—and that's where Quinzel comes into play, better known as Harley Quinn to the criminal underworld. She plans to cause the same havoc the Joker did when he was terrorizing Gotham eight years ago, only this time do it somewhere else."

"Starling City."

"After Bane arrived in Gotham and she learned what his plans were, Harley decided to go on an excavation for the next perfect target, until her search landed her here about a month ago. She found out that the Triad and Bertinelli organization were both leaderless—"

"—and ripe for the picking."

The handsome billionaire cupped her cheek and gazed deep into her hazel green eyes. "Laurel, I made a promise to myself that I would do everything in my power to keep you out of harm's way, but if you're not up to this, you don't have to be involved."

"Bruce, I meant what I said to Alfred earlier today. I understand the risks and I'm willing to take them if it means helping you bring that madwoman down."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Meanwhile, Oliver stood on the rooftop of the next building, unable to make himself look away as he witnessed the couple kissing.


	7. Confrontations

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own anything.

**A/N:** I know many of you have been sending me reviews and PMs, wondering why I haven't updated my story in several weeks. The reason is because I've been so busy with school lately. I'm very sorry for the long hiatus. I hope this chapter will make up for it.

Thanks for reading!

* * *

Alfred opened the left passenger side door to the black limousine he had just been driving and Bruce stepped out in a black suit and silk tie, instantly attracting the flock of paparazzi that stood outside Oliver's nightclub. As the handsome billionaire helped Laurel step out of the limo, he ignored the photographers flashing their cameras in his face and reporters trying to ask him endless questions about his personal life.

"Try not to get into too much trouble tonight, sir," Alfred advised him.

"Where's the fun in that?"

"I'll keep an eye on him," Laurel promised with a cheerful smile.

"Miss Lance, who's your favorite actress?" one reporter tried to ask her.

"Mr. Wayne, how long have you and Laurel been dating?" another asked Bruce.

Still ignoring the nosy paparazzi bombarding them, the couple made their way through the crowd, then proceeded to walk towards the nightclub's entrance, where a tall and very buff security guard immediately let them enter, no questions asked. They continued to receive looks from most of the guests. Laurel did her best not to pay attention to it while they pointed fingers and whispered things to one another.

"Not used to this much attention, are you?"

"Not even when I was dating Oliver."

"Come on," he said, taking her hand. "I reserved a private room for us."

They walked along the edge of the large dance floor, past the bar and local DJ playing Taio Cruz's _Dynamite_, to one of the isolated corners of the club, where Bruce pulled back a heavy blue curtain and allowed Laurel to walk in first. She stepped inside and immediately noticed a beautiful bouquet of long-stemmed red roses, an expensive bottle of French champagne on ice, and a delicious array of chocolate-covered strawberries waiting for them on a small round table.

"Bruce, what's all this? I thought we came here to—"

"We did," he interrupted her. "But I know how much you hate going to places like this, so I thought I'd make things a little easier for you."

"It doesn't get an easier than this, but you didn't have to do this for me. I understand why we're here, and that's more important to me than indulging ourselves in a little dessert."

"Well, I can be flexible."

"I know you can," she laughed. "You made that clear the first time we slept together."

"Glad to know I didn't disappoint."

"A typical playboy response," Laurel sighed, rolling her eyes in annoyance as they sat down. "At least I now know it's all an act."

"An act that Alfred came up with, I might add."

"Or so you claim."

"It's the truth."

"I'm teasing," she playfully giggled, then cupped the back of his neck and kissed him on the lips.

When they parted a few moments later, he smiled and whispered, "What do you say we try to enjoy this evening before we go to work?"

"I say you have my undivided attention."

Picking up the bottle of champagne, Bruce ripped off the foil and popped the cork with ease, then poured them both a small glass. He handed one to her, which she thanked him for, gently clinked glasses, and both took a sip before he reached over to pick up one of the delectable chocolate-covered strawberries and raised the sweet treat to her lips. Laurel opened her mouth and took a bite, feeling like she had died and gone to heaven from how delicious it tasted. Bruce proceeded to do the same before leaning over to give her a good, long kiss with Lifehouse's hit song _Between the Raindrops_ playing in the background. Everything was perfect.

The half-eaten strawberry still in his hand, Bruce held it up to her lips again and she took the final bite just before he captured her lips in another heated kiss. It didn't take long before she was lost in the moment. His lips slowly trailed down to her neck, eliciting a low moan of pleasure from her. The romantic spell was soon broken, however, when they heard someone from behind clear their throat to make their presence known. It was Oliver. Dressed in a black suit and emerald green tie, the attorney could instantly tell that her ex-boyfriend's friendly smile was as fake as his support of their relationship. He was merely putting on an act to not seem disrespectful.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. I just wanted to know how you're both doing."

"We're fine," Bruce replied while he stood up before lending out his right hand to help Laurel out of her seat. "It's good to see you again, Oliver."

"Likewise."

"I hope everything you asked for is satisfactory."

"It is. Thank you."

"Is there anything else you would like?"

"No, but I need to go make a quick phone call, so I'll let you two catch up while I'm gone."

Surprised that he was leaving in such a rush, Laurel ultimately understood after he whispered in her ear that he had to check in with Fox. She nodded her head and he gave her a peck on the cheek before exiting. Once he was gone, she turned her attention to Oliver, an unsettling look on her face.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean bothering me on my date with Bruce."

"It's my club, Laurel. I was trying to be a good owner and see how was everything was going."

"Don't play games with me, Ollie. I know you better than that. You've been jealous of Bruce since the second you learned he asked me out."

"I'm not jealous of Wayne," he lied through his teeth. "I just don't understand why you're interested in him."

"You don't have to understand it, but the least you do could as my friend is accept my relationship with him."

"Accept your—? Why do I feel like you want to sing _Before He Cheats_ every time you see me now? For awhile there I thought our relationship had made progress."

"It did."

"Then why the sudden turnaround? You've been acting this way with me for weeks."

"I don't want to discuss it right now. Besides, I'm on a date."

"Fine. Tell me the appropriate time and place for this discussion and I'll meet you there."

Getting more frustrated with him by the second, she angrily spat, "Will you just leave me alone? I don't want to see you."

"Why not? Just tell me what I did wrong and I'll fix it. I promise."

"You can't fix it because the damage is already done! You're the reason my relationship with Tommy ended!"

Stunned by her words, Oliver was rendered speechless. His mind was reeling with a million thoughts—the first and most important one being whether or not Tommy told her his secret—as he watched the expression on his ex-girlfriend's face go from anger to shock in a heartbeat. Laurel immediately regretted what she had admitted and was unable to say a single word while she stared at him. Several moments of tension-filled silence passed between the former lovers before he could finally talk.

"I'm the reason you and Tommy broke up? How? I gave you both my blessing. I supported your relationship the entire time you were together. I never—"

"It doesn't matter. It's none of your business anyway, so drop it."

"You can't just blurt out that I'm reason your relationship with Tommy ended and expect me to let it go, Laurel. I deserve to know the truth."

"The door swings both ways, Ollie."

"I haven't kept anything from you."

"I know that's not true, because if it was, Tommy wouldn't have broken things off with me the way he had."

"What happened?"

"I wish I knew, but no matter how hard I tried, he wouldn't tell me what was bothering him. He did say that you and I had never really gotten over each other and there was a part of me that still loved you."

"Is that true?" he wondered, stepping closer to her. "Do you still love me?"

Without blinking, she uttered one word: "No."

"Laurel…" he softly spoke her name, inching so close to her now that their bodies nearly touched. "You admitted to me the day after we kissed that we were still attracted to one another—"

"I also told you that nothing could ever happen between us, and I meant it. We can never be together again."

"Is that really what you want?"

"What I want is for you to go. You've caused enough drama for one night."

Still staring at her and feeling the tension between them, he remained silence for a few moments until he finally decided to do as she asked. "I'll leave, but this conversation isn't over."

Once Oliver left the room, Laurel breathed a sigh of relief yet wondered what was going to happen between them the next time he cornered her. Her train of thought soon came to a stop, however, when she heard something—or rather someone—above her laughing wickedly. She looked up and found a woman dressed in a black, white and red harlequin jester costume. Her face was painted white and wore a black burglar mask around her eyes. She was dangling upside down like a kid playing on the monkey bars at recess.

"Boy, would Mistah J getta laugh outta seein' the two of you go at it. You were really puttin' on uh show. Too bad your other dream prince wasn't around ta see it."

"_Harleen Quinzel_."

Letting go of the metal bar she was hanging onto with her legs, the villainess' feet landed firmly on the ground and her lips curled into a playful smile. "Call me Harley. Everyone does."

* * *

Oliver observed everything that was going on in his club, making sure that his guests were enjoying themselves. More importantly, he was forcing himself to abide by Laurel's request and leave her alone. His instincts were telling him to go back, to continue pressing her for the truth…especially when he was so close to getting it. The rising tension between them was undeniable. It was the reason she made him leave. She couldn't be around him without feeling uncomfortable, and she used her anger towards him as a shield to hide from the truth. Oliver knew that Tommy and Laurel had been having problems ever since he told him his secret, but he didn't want to believe it would cause them to break up. Yet even though his best friend may not have told her his secret, Oliver could tell there was much more involved in their breakup than she was willing to admit.

He was about to go confront her again, when he spotted Bruce talking on his cell in the dimly lit hallway leading to the restrooms. Eager to have a little chat with him while no one else was around to interrupt them—especially Laurel—he walked over to where the Gotham City billionaire playboy was standing. Bruce saw him and silently told him to wait a moment while he finished his phone call.

"Just keep me posted. Thanks."

Ending his call there, he looked to Oliver and wondered what he wanted. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes, everything's fine. I was just curious about something."

"What's that?"

"When are you going to stop toying with Laurel's heart and admit you're using her as a substitute for the only woman you've ever really loved, Rachel Dawes?"

His facial expression going from calm to unpleasant, Bruce replied, "You have no right to talk to me about Rachel. You didn't even know her."

"It's true, isn't it? You asked out my ex-girlfriend because she reminded you of your greatest love."

"You've made it quite clear that you don't want me dating Laurel. I understand where you're coming from. I really do. But that doesn't give you the right to tell me what I'm doing or how I feel about Laurel. I care about her very much."

"You care about her? You probably jumped in the sack with her ten minutes after you met!"

"What I do with Laurel is none of your business—no matter how feel about her."

"How I feel about her goes beyond anything you'll ever feel because I'm not the one comparing her to some dead love from my past."

"No, you're the one who slept with Sara behind Laurel's back."

Oliver was shocked Bruce threw that in his face. "She told you about that?"

"Yes. She trusts me and I trust her. We've become very close since we got together."

"I was a different person back then. I loved Laurel more than anything, but my feelings for her also scared me. I didn't know how to make a commitment to her—"

"So you decided to cheat on her with her younger sister. Not your finest moment, was it?"

"It was the biggest mistake I've ever made and I will carry it with me the rest of my life, but I'm not gonna stand around and wait for you to break Laurel's heart after everything she's been through. She deserves better than both of us."

"I have no intention of hurting her, and she isn't this porcelain doll you try to make her out to be. Laurel's a lot tougher than you think."

* * *

Defenses up, Laurel stared down the jester-clad villainess with fire in her eyes. "I know all about you and your psychopathic boyfriend. You've been waiting for the right moment to strike Starling City, haven't you?"

"Look at you, actin' like you've got all the answers. Life's uh game, princess. Lighten up uh little and have some fun."

"I don't have fun with women who fall in love with homicidal maniacs."

"Pity. You're missin' out on so much."

"You're insane."

"You better believe it," she smirked and screamed out at the top of her lungs, "_Go ta work, boys!_"

* * *

Still fighting over who's the bigger SOB, Oliver and Bruce's fight came to a sudden halt when they heard glass shattering, saw men repel down the walls of the club through the ceiling, and hold people up for money. Their heroic instincts instantly took over as both men tried to assist guests who were being attacked by Harley's henchmen.

"Where do ya think you're goin', pretty boy?" one thug asked Bruce, pointing a large shotgun at him.

The displeased billionaire grabbed the man's wrist in a flash, twisted it, broke his wrist, and the weapon dropped out of his hand while he cried out in pain. Two more approached him from opposite sides and he bashed their foreheads together before they even saw it coming. One tried to take him from behind while two others wielding knives attempted to stab him, but Bruce kicked them both in the chest, then elbowed the thug behind him in the gut and threw him over his shoulder, breaking the thug's arm and back in one go.

Meanwhile, Oliver tossed one henchman over the bar, where the guy crashed into dozens of unopened bottles of liquor. He side kicked one thug in the rubs and hit him over the head with empty blue vase. Then when he saw another guy threatening two brunettes in a corner with his handgun, Oliver picked up a knife that he found on the floor and threw it halfway across the club, stabbing him in the back of the leg.

* * *

Laurel could hear glass breaking, people screaming, and gunshots going off every few seconds. She ran to the curtain, pulled it back, and saw mass chaos unfold as numerous armed men terrorized Oliver's guests in their panicked attempts to flee the club. Feeling as though she was reliving her experience at Iron Heights all over again, yet filled with anger at the same time, she turned back around to find Harley right behind her, staring at her like a kid in a toy store.

The attorney took a heavy swing at her, yet her opponent easily dodged the punch. Laurel took another swing with her left, a sharp hook with her right and attempted a low kick to her knee, but the psychotic clown was too fast for her, and Harley chose to fight back with a swift back kick to her stomach. She hit the floor and her ears were filled with the sound of incessant laughter.

"Is that the best you can do, daddy's girl?"

Using all of her lower strength, Laurel's legs rammed into Harley's ankles and she hit the floor hard. The lawyer got up and raised her three-inch heels in order to stomp on her chest, but the villainess rolled away just before contact could be made. She quickly got back on her feet, almost looking impressed with the brunette's moves. It was short-lived when Laurel delivered a high roundhouse kick to her face and she crashed onto the small table, which caused the champagne bottle to roll on the floor and sent the silver platter of chocolate-covered strawberries flying.

"Had enough fun yet, Harley, or do you want more?"

* * *

"C'mere, girlie," one thug intimidated a young Asian woman with his knife up against the bar. "It's not gonna hurt—much."

A green arrow shot through the air and stabbed him in the shoulder, causing him to scream out in agony.

"Go!" the Hood approached her. "Get out of here!"

He saw another henchman trying to hold up a short white man from across the dance floor, so Oliver reached for an arrow, quickly took his aim and shot him in the lower chest.

Almost out of nowhere, Batman suddenly appeared on the scene and five guys tried to take him on at once. He punched the first one in the face and kneed him in the gut. He used a front kick on the second, attacking his chin, and finished off the remaining three with a low reverse roundhouse kick, knocking them to the floor.

After witnessing his impressive skills, the other henchmen apparently ran away in fear, thereby leaving the vigilantes alone to square off for the first time.

"Why did you come to my city?" Oliver demanded to know under the guise of his voice changer, ready to shoot him with an arrow at any given moment.

"For the same reason you came," Batman replied in a gruff voice, "to help make this city safe."

"Safe from what?"

Just then the costumed heroes saw two women tumble through the blue curtain and roll out onto the dance floor. Both were shocked to find Laurel and Harley Quinn caught in a fight. The brunette was quickly pinned to the ground by her opponent, yet she managed to knee her in the lower back and knock her off balance with a sharp right hook.

While rubbing the area where Laurel hit her jaw, the jester-clad villainess looked up to find the Dark Knight standing over her.

"Well, look who it is? You're uh long way from home, aren't ya, Bats?"

He bent down and grabbed the white collar of her costume, bringing her closer to his face. "The madness stops here, Harley. I'm taking you back to Arkham once and for all."

"But the party's only just begun."

With no warning, Laurel, Oliver and Bruce heard several things hit the dance floor and toxic gas suddenly filled the entire room. As they started coughing, struggling to breathe and see anything, Harley giggled in amusement, clearly unaffected by the gas. She gave her "nemesis" a big kiss on the cheek and wiggled out of his grasp with ease when he, Laurel and Oliver fell to their knees and started to lose consciousness.

"That's all for now, folks. Let's do it again sometime—_assumin' you three actually make it!_"

She skipped away from the scene with a mile-wide grin on her face, confident that Mistah J would be proud, and finished the dirty deed by signaling her gas-masked henchmen to seal off all exits, thereby trapping the hostages in the club.

Back inside, they were lying on the ground, almost unconscious. The attorney weakly reached out Batman, wanting to help both vigilantes. Meeting her halfway, Bruce's gloved fingers touched hers, as a feeling of guilt washed over him because he couldn't keep her safe like he had promised.

"Laurel… I'm sorry…"

"Dig…" Oliver choked out in a faint whisper, "…help us…"

Then everything went black.

* * *

"Laurel…" the brunette fuzzily heard a female call out her name. Slowly coming to a few seconds later, she heard the same person call out her name again and shake her shoulders. "Laurel. Laurel!"

Eyelids flying open, she found an unfamiliar blonde woman in glasses sitting on her knees and leaning over her. "What happened? Who are you?"

"Felicity Smoak. I'm a friend," the tech chick replied and helped the attorney up off the floor. "Sorry to cut our introductions short, but I need your strength."

After Laurel recalled the events that took place earlier, she looked down and found both heroes still unconscious. The Dark Knight was lying on his side, while the Emerald Archer was lying on his stomach, his face turned in the opposite direction so she couldn't identify him.

Felicity walked around the Hood's lifeless body and grabbed both of his arms in order to start dragging him away.

"Help the Batman and follow me," she ordered. "We have to make like a tree and leave before they get inside."

"Before who gets inside?"

The front entrance doors to Oliver's nightclub suddenly swung open and Detective Lance appeared with a SWAT team, all of them donning black bulletproof vests and carrying loaded firearms.

"SCPD!"


	8. Friends & Foes

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything.

**A/N:** First off, I would like to apologize for the long wait in posting this chapter. The second half of my spring semester was very hectic, so I couldn't find a lot of time to write. Second, I would like to give my thoughts on the final episodes of S1. While I do think the writing for Laurel's character improved slightly by the time we reached **1x20:** _Home Invasion_, I was not impressed with how the producers handled the Oliver/Laurel/Tommy love triangle—especially since it ended with Tommy dying after he saved Laurel's life. In my opinion, they're not very good at writing romance, but S2 spoilers are already teasing that Laurel's storyline will focus more on the path towards her ultimate destiny. Even though the guilt of Tommy's death will most likely tear Oliver and Laurel apart at the beginning of S2, if his death serves as motivation for Laurel to become Black Canary (which many sources have been saying it will), I'm all for that. I know many suspect that Oliver and Felicity will hook up at some point during S2, and while the thought of Olicity dating doesn't thrill me, I'd still like to believe that Lauliver is endgame because of their canon relationship in the comics. However, that's not to say Laurel shouldn't have a few other love interests between now and the end of the show. After all, Green Arrow isn't Black Canary's only love interest in the DCU. She also shares brief romances with Batman, Ra's al Ghul, Doctor Mid-Nite III (Pieter Cross), Ray II (Ray Terrill), and Craig Windrow. Anyway, I think I've talked long enough for one author's note. I hope this chapter was worth the long wait.

Thanks for reading!

* * *

"SCPD!"

Staring down the army of men pointing their guns at Bruce and the Hood, Laurel's heart started to race with panic. She turned to Felicity, who was also frozen in place, both unsure of what to do.

"Laurel!" her father yelled out. He lowered his gun and stood in utter disbelief at the sight before him. His daughter was standing above an unconscious Batman, while the Hood lay unconscious only a few feet behind her with a blonde woman standing above him. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Just as the detective started approaching her, every light from the stage landed on the cops, blinding them from going a step further.

The attorney instantly knew that the lights were being used as a distraction—the vigilantes' only chance to escape from the police—yet it would only hold them off for so long. She and Felicity had to move quickly.

"Go!" she silently mouthed to the blonde. "I'll take care of them!"

Not needing to be told twice, Felicity grabbed Oliver's wrists once more and started dragging his lifeless body away from the scene as fast as she could.

Meanwhile, Bruce started regaining consciousness from the brightness of the stage lighting. Laurel noticed this and helped him sit up.

"Hurry!" she whispered. "You have to get out of here before the police try to arrest you."

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine, I promise. My father won't let anything happen to me."

Between the concerned look in her green eyes and everything she had told him about Quentin, he knew she was right. Detective Lance was not James Gordon. He would be the first one in Starling City willing to lock him up and throw away the key for being a vigilante if given the chance, and in his currently weakened state, the police could do just that. Even though he didn't want to leave Laurel behind, Bruce trusted her. He had to get out of the nightclub while the cops were distracted and she could hold them off.

With her help, Bruce got himself off the ground, whispered an "Be careful" to his girlfriend, and ran for the nearest exit.

The brunette watched as he made his escape until he was no longer in sight and the stage lights suddenly powered down. Turning her attention towards the men before her, she saw all of them rub their eyes, blink repeatedly, and clutch their heads in discomfort after being exposed such a high intensity of lighting. It didn't take a genius to figure out what just happened. The fact that the stage lights turned on at the exact moment the police needed to be distracted in order for both vigilantes to escape and turned off once Bruce had left the scene could only mean one thing: The Hood had at least two people working with him, and she had just met one of those two people.

After taking a few moments to readjust to his surroundings, Quentin once again stood in shock at the sight before him. The blonde woman in glasses, the Hood, and the Batman had all disappeared. The lights were no coincidence; they were used as a diversion.

"Dad," his daughter breathed out when he approached her.

"You helped those two lowlifes escape, didn't you?"

* * *

After spending several hours being grilled and lectured by her father in an interrogation room at SCPD, a sleep-deprived Laurel enjoyed the simple pleasure of watching the sun rise from Bruce's private balcony attached to his penthouse suite the next morning. Dressed in a white tank top and blue flannel pajama pants, she stared out at the city, deep in thought over the previous night's events until she heard someone come outside to join her. The "intruder" wrapped their arms around her waist and kissed the base of her neck, causing her to smile and lean into their warm embrace.

"I thought bats were nocturnal."

"They are."

Laurel turned around to face Bruce and he placed both of his hands on the small of her back before she leaned in to kiss him good morning.

"You should be resting. You went through a lot last night."

"So did you," he countered, "and I was resting until I realized you were gone."

"I needed to clear my head."

"Something tells me the fog hasn't cleared yet."

"I can't stop thinking about what happened."

"Which part?"

"All of it."

"Are you sure everything's alright between you and your father?"

"I told you he wouldn't let anything happen to me and he didn't."

"Does he suspect that you were aiding the Batman?"

"He did until he started asking questions about the raid."

"Does he know about Harley?"

"Her description was pretty hard to miss in a pile of police reports."

"You're worried he's gonna try and go after her."

"Ever since Sara died, it's been my father's life mission to put criminals behind bars. I don't want his new obsession with Harley to put him over the edge. We have to stop her before he gets caught in the crossfire."

Bruce kissed her forehead and brought her into his arms for a comforting hug. They held each other close for several moments. When they pulled away, however, he could tell something else from the night before was still bothering her. He had a fairly good guess what that something was.

"You're worried about Oliver, aren't you?"

"What? No, I called him early this morning to see if he got out okay and he said that he did. Ollie's fine."

"He's still in love with you."

Taken aback by the bluntness of his statement, it took her a moment before she could make a reply. "Bruce, if this is about his behavior—"

"It's not. It was what he said to me once you weren't around to play referee."

"What did he say?"

"That his feelings for you would go beyond anything I feel towards you."

The brunette sighed, more angry than shocked that her ex-boyfriend would say something like that to him. "I'm sorry. He shouldn't have—"

"Laurel, there's no need to apologize for him. Believe me, I know how he feels. I felt the same way when I found out Rachel was dating Harvey. It's not easy to see the person you love with someone else."

"No, it isn't," she whispered softly.

"Is that how you feel when you see Oliver with other women?"

"Ollie will always be important to me, but I could care less about his ill-fated love life."

"I know how much he hurt you, and I want you to know that I will _never_ hurt you—not like that."

"I never thought for a second that you would. The night you told me you're Batman, you gave me the one thing Oliver still hasn't since he's returned home."

"Honesty."

"The key to any relationship is honesty. Without it, I don't see how I can trust him."

"What makes you think he's lying to you?"

"Everything. The way he dodges certain questions and doesn't give me a straight answer. I know he's holding something back…and I'm the last person he wants finding out the truth."

"I also suspected that Oliver was hiding something after we first met, so I told Alfred to dig up as much as he could on him since his return from the island."

"What did you find out?"

"Not much because I stopped looking into his activities after you and I became seriously involved. I didn't want you to be upset with me for putting one of your friend's lives under the microscope."

"Pardon me for the interruption, Master Wayne, but Mr. Fox is on the line for you. It's about yesterday's board meeting."

"Thank you, Alfred," he replied and turned his attention back to Laurel. "This will just take a few minutes."

"Take your time."

Bruce gave her hand a light squeeze before exiting to go back inside. The attorney and the butler stood at opposite sides of balcony, neither one saying a word until Alfred decided to take the first step. "You're feeling guilty about last night, aren't you?"

"Am I that easy to read?"

"Your eyes gave you away."

"If Bruce hadn't woken up when he did, my father would have exposed his secret to the entire world."

"Perhaps, but you are not your father. You should not feel guilty for someone else's actions, especially when you are not the cause of them."

"Bruce would have never been in that position in the first place if I had been able to take down Harley myself."

"From what I understand, you held your own against her in a fair fight. That is not something many people can say."

"It still wasn't enough."

"Miss Lance, do you know why we fall?" he asked while approaching her. "So that we can learn how to pick ourselves back up. If you want to make something positive out of a negative situation, you need to take a step back from your emotions and learn from this experience."

"I already know what I need to do, Alfred."

"And what would that be?"

"Undergo more training, so the next time I come face-to-face with that psychotic clown, I'll be ready for her."

"I had a feeling you might say that," the butler smiled, "which is why I took the liberty to call a mutual friend of ours from Gotham and requested he fly out here to help you in your fight against Harley Quinn."

"Who?"

* * *

"Thank you both for saving me last night," Oliver said as he walked down the staircase to the Arrowcave. "I owe you."

"Not just us," Diggle pointed out. "Laurel helped out, too."

"How?"

"Thanks to her, the cops were distracted long enough for Felicity to get you down here without getting caught."

"She was the first one to wake up—mainly because I kept rattling on like a broken record until she did," the IT chick smiled.

"She saw you?" Ollie questioned her. "Laurel saw you help me?"

"I may have only just met your ex-girlfriend last night, but from what I could tell she wasn't blind."

He threw her a look of irritation and the blonde changed her tune. "Sorry," she mumbled. "I was going to have her drag the Batman down here so Detective Lance couldn't unmask either of you."

"You were going to let Laurel and the Batman learn my secret?"

"Our options were limited, Oliver," John stepped back into the conversation. "It was either risk them learning the truth, or watch as Lance unhoods you and makes an arrow-wide announcement to everyone in Starling City."

"That wasn't your choice to make."

"Under the circumstances, it was our choice because you were in trouble. Laurel finding out the truth was a far better option than the alternative. At least with her we could bet she'd keep a lid on your secret."

"That's not the point, Dig. Laurel already suspects that I'm keeping something from her. Now that she knows one of you is working with the Hood, all she has to do is connect the dots in order to find out my secret."

"Maybe that isn't such a bad thing," Felicity put her two cents in. "She's involved now. Maybe it's time we quit this vanishing act and finally tell her about Team Arrow."

Dig nodded his head in agreement. "Telling her might also answer the one question you've wanted to ask Laurel for weeks: How well does she know the Batman?"

* * *

"Fox is flying back tomorrow," Bruce said as he walked into Laurel's living room from the kitchen that afternoon. "He says he has a few new toys that may help us against Harley."

The handsome billionaire sensed something was off with his girlfriend the second he saw her standing in the middle of the room, staring at him like she was torn over something important.

"Laurel, what's wrong?"

"Part of me feels like I'm betraying a friend by telling you this, but I thought a lot about what we said to each other this morning. I don't want there to be any secrets between us."

"Neither do I."

"I think I met someone who's working with the Hood."

"When? How?"

"After Harley left us to die in the club last night, I was woken up by a woman who claimed to be a friend. Then right before my dad came barging through the front door, she told me to help you and follow her while she was dragging the Hood's body away."

"Did she tell you her name?"

"Felicity Smoak. She's an employee at Queen Consolidated, working in the IT department."

"You realize that if we find the link between her and the Hood, we may not only find his location—"

"We may also find out his true identity."

"Is that why you were so torn over whether or not to tell me this?"

"When I first met him during the Declan case, he told me that he wears the hood to protect the people he cares about."

"I know the feeling."

"I just don't want our desire to enlist his help to endanger any more innocent lives than the ones that are already at risk."

"As long as Harley is out there, everyone is in danger. We're going to need all the help we can get in order to stop her."

The brunette nodded her head silently, uncertainty written all over her facial expression. Concerned, Bruce stepped towards her and caressed the side of her face.

"Laurel, we don't have to look into this matter if you're unsure or have doubts."

"The Hood has done so much for my city since he's been here. I consider him a friend, but if we decide to go through with this scavenger hunt, it sort of feels like we're taking a page out of my father's book."

"The difference is he wants to put the Hood behind bars, we don't. We just have to have faith that he'll want to help us and be willing to work together as a team."

* * *

"Tell him it's a top priority."

Even after a long day at work, Quentin was still busy making work-related phone calls while getting into his car to go home. He shut his car door and put his briefcase on the floor of the passenger seat.

"No, I want everything Gotham City PD has on this psychopath by tomorrow morning. You got that? Good."

Satisfied, he ended the call there, placed his cell into one of the cup holders, put his car key into the ignition, and was about to start the engine when someone suddenly popped up from the backseat of his car.

"Hiya, pops!" Harley Quinn happily greeted him.

Startled by her appearance, Quentin's first instinct was to reach for his gun. Just when his fingers touched the holster, though, she slammed her right foot down on his hand and held a large pistol with a cork in it up to his face. "I wouldn't do that if I were ya."

Staring into the dark yet playful eyes of Gotham's wicked jester-clad villainess for the first time, it took Quentin a few moments to find his voice before he could speak. "What do you want?"

"Is that any way ta talk ta the newest person on yer Most Wanted list? I think not."

"Why are you here?"

"Ta have some fun. Speakin' of fun, I met yer daughta yestaday. Nice girl. With uh little more trainin', she might actually pose uh threat ta someone."

"Stay the hell away from my daughter! You so much as touch a hair on her head, I swear to God I won't rest until—"

"Relax, pops," Harley waved at him with her free hand. "Don't get yer panties in uh twist. She's safe."

"I wouldn't believe you if you told me the sky was blue. You're a freak show and predator, chumming the waters while you wait for both vigilantes to strike."

"Funny ya mention that."

"Why?"

Before Quentin saw the attack coming, she swiftly kicked him across the face and rendered unconscious. Lips curling into a smug smile, the villainess watched as the detective's lifeless body pressed up against the steering wheel and his head hit the dashboard.

"Because yer the bait."


	9. Fixation

**Disclaimer: **I still don't own anything.

**IMPORTANT Author's Note: **After TheWrap posted an article on July 18th stating that Caity Lotz had been cast to play Dinah Drake/Black Canary in _Arrow_, fans were thrown for a loop. The information was very confusing since 1) Alex Kingston had already portrayed Dinah Drake Lance last season and 2) the producers had been dropping hints that Laurel would eventually don the fishnets for the past year. Less than a day later, however, executive producer Andrew Kreisberg set the record straight:

"_Everyone knows that Laurel Lance is the Black Canary. That's the way it is in the comic books, but how we get from A to B is the story of our show. […] Laurel Lance right now is a lawyer with a lot of heart and a lot of humanity and courage. But it takes more than that to put on the mask and go out and fight crime. Our series is the evolution of that. People will see how Caity Lotz fits into Laurel's journey along the way._"

When the initial report from TheWrap first came out, I was quite upset because I thought it was a total slap in the face to Katie Cassidy. While it's no secret that Laurel's character was not well-received last season, many still argue (myself included) that this was mostly due to poor writing. Katie was given very little material to work with in S1, and Laurel was primarily defined by her romantic relationships, so it was only natural that she would come off as a weak character. With all of that said, I'm pleased that Caity Lotz's character will serve as "the beginning of the Black Canary story," and I look forward to seeing how she interacts with Katie throughout S2, thus becoming the catalyst for Laurel's ultimate destiny.

Now, back to the story! Thanks for reading!

* * *

Laurel was sleeping against Bruce's bare chest, a protective arm wrapped around her while he held her close, when the sound of her cell phone receiving a text message suddenly woke her. Without stirring Bruce, she slowly slipped away from his warm embrace and reached over for her cell phone on the nightstand. She had received a text from a name and number that was blocked. Curious, the attorney opened the text message, only to nearly gasp in shock from what she saw: It was a photo of her father gagged and bound in chains in an abandoned warehouse! Along with the picture, there was a short message that stated—

"Ready to play again, princess?"

Laurel knew in that instant Harley had kidnapped her father in attempt to grab her attention, possibly to even set her in a trap. The villainess had provided an address to their location, which was just a few miles from her apartment complex. Filled with both worry and rage, the brunette vowed that her psychotic opponent would pay for all the damage she had done and pain she had caused. She would not escape this time.

Looking down at Bruce's sleeping form, which had remained peaceful and content, Laurel chose not to wake him. He may be the Batman, but Harley was her enemy now, too, and this was her fight—her fight alone. She smiled at him for a brief moment, leaned down to kiss him on the cheek, and then slipped out of her bed without making a single sound.

* * *

At the abandoned warehouse where Harley was holding Quentin hostage, she was in a fit of giggles over the display of anger that the detective was showing in spite of his current state.

"What's the matter, pops? I take it yer not enjoyin' the accommodations."

Even though he knew everything came out muffled with a rag in his mouth, Quentin continued screaming and throwing daggers at her with his eyes.

Figuring he had enough and eager to hear what he had to say, she finally yanked the white cloth from his mouth.

"When I get out of this, Arkham Asylum is going to look like paradise compared to where I'll put you!"

"Pretty big talk from someone who's uh hostage."

"What do you want from me?!"

"I don't want anythin' from ya, darlin'. Yer just the bait."

"For who? The Hood? The Batman? I'd hardly consider myself someone at the top of their damsel-in-distress lists."

"Who says they're the ones I'm aftah?"

As the truth suddenly dawned on him seconds later, he breathed out, "You didn't kidnap me to grab their attention. You kidnapped me to grab Laurel's attention."

"Bingo!"

Trying to wriggle himself out of the chains in flaring anger, Quentin's face began to turn red while he screamed, "What the hell is your fixation with my daughter! Why aren't you more interested in those two masked bandits people call heroes?"

"They're predictable, but yer daughtah—she's uh different story. Ya see, she's like uh piece of clay. She has the potential ta be molded inta anythin', and I plan ta exploit that every which way I can 'til the very end."

"Leave Laurel out of your sick and twisted plans! Test your theories, run your experiments on me if you have to, but stay away from my daughter!"

"Can't do that, pops, so sit back and hold on tight, 'cuz it's gonna be uh bumpy ride!"

Just then, a motorcycle came crashing through one of the dirty windows and stopped right in front of Harley. It didn't surprise or scare her, though. If anything, the sudden intrusion excited her.

"Well, look at what we've got here."

The driver got off the motorcycle and removed their helmet, shocking Quentin to his core.

"Laurel?" he spoke out in utter confusion. "How did you...? Get out of here now! You being here is exactly what this freak of nature wants."

Harley delivered a sharp reverse side kick to his jaw, instantly knocking him unconscious.

"Dad!"

"Don't worry, princess. He's fine. His barkin' would have just been uh distraction anyway."

Putting out a gun and pointing it at her forehead, Laurel spoke in a dangerously low voice, "Stay away from my father. He means nothing to you. I'm the one you're after."

Smirking, the villainess pretended to be scared by holding her hands up in defense. "Grew uh backbone overnight, did we? Yer comin' along even fasta than I thought ya would."

"I don't take kindly to psychopaths who kidnap my father."

"Put the gun away, sweetheart. I'm impressed ya decided ta come, but we both know yer not gonna shoot me. That would just ruin all our fun."

Laurel fired her gun, the bullet went flying—mere inches from her opponent's head—and for the first time since she arrived in Starling City, Harley was almost quaking in her boots.

"That was a warning. Next time I won't miss."

* * *

Oliver walked into CNRI wearing a brown leather jacket, white t-shirt and jeans, expecting to find Laurel busy at her desk. When he looked around and couldn't find her, though, he spotted Joanna working at her desk.

Walking up to her, he asked, "Hey, Joanna, is Laurel around? I need to talk to her."

"No, she isn't," the young lawyer replied, busy leaning over her computer. "I was just about to call her, actually."

"Why, is something wrong?"

Finally looking up at him, she said, "She never came into work today and we're swamped."

"Laurel never came into work? She didn't even call?"

"No. Now, if you don't mind, I need to go do a second interview with a potential client. If you see Laurel, or happen to get ahold of her, can you please tell her we're drowning down here and need her to toss us a life ring?"

Joanna walked off without saying goodbye, leaving Oliver a little surprised. Once the events of Friday night came flooding back to him, however, he began to worry. Walking out of CNRI in a small rush, he pulled out his cell, placed a call, and put the phone to his ear.

"Felicity, I need you to track down Laurel's cell phone location."

"Sure. What's the problem?"

"I think Harley Quinn decided to take another shot at her."

* * *

As the morning sunlight came shining through Laurel's bedroom windows, Bruce slowly opened his eyes, expecting to find his girlfriend sleeping beside him. When he fully came to, though, he saw that she wasn't in bed or even in the room. Sitting up, the handsome billionaire noticed that the outfit she picked out for work was still hanging in her closet, no sounds were coming from the bathroom, and her cell phone was gone.

"Laurel?"

He called out her name a second time, yet when no response came, the Dark Knight knew it could only mean one thing:

"_Harley._"

* * *

"We both know ya don't have it in ya ta take uh life, princess," Harley smiled, hands still up in defense. "It goes against everythin' ya stand for."

Easing up slightly, Laurel knew her opponent was right. The Hood could kill, but she—like Bruce—could never take a life. She wanted this psycho to pay, yet not this way.

With her defenses lowered, Harley took it as an opportunity to gain the upper hand. She jumped in front of her, twisted her wrist quick enough to rip the gun out of the attorney's hand, and pointed it at her head.

"Doesn't mean I can't."

Fear behind her hazel green eyes, the brunette stood frozen on the spot. Her reaction brought a small smile to Harley's lips, who felt like she was back in control.

"Take that petrified look off yer face, princess. I'm not gonna kill ya."

"Why not?"

"'Cuz that would take away all my fun."

Tossing the gun aside, the masked villainess circled her like a shark after its latest prey.

"I knew from the moment I saw ya that there was more ta ya than meets eye, Dinah Laurel Lance. Somethin' different and unique. That was why I chose ya."

"Chose me for what?"

"All in good time, sweetheart. All in good time."

"Get away from her!" a voice yelled out from above them.

The two women looked up and spotted the Hood standing on top of one of the iron beams supporting the roof, bow and arrow in hand, ready to shoot at any given moment.

"Look who it is," Harley smirked. "Boyfriend ta the rescue."

She was quickly cut off when Laurel hit her in the ankles with a low roundhouse kick, knocking her straight to the ground. A knife was then pressed to her throat, as the lawyer's eyes bore into hers.

"What makes you think I need someone to rescue me?"

"Laurel, stop!" Oliver pleaded with her under the guise of his voice changer. "Don't do something we both know you'll regret."

"Can it, Jolly Green Giant!" Harley snapped at him. "You're precious Maid Marian is playin' right inta my hand—and the games have only just begun."

"The games end here!" Laurel heatedly interjected. "I won't let you terrorize my city or the people I care about for another second."

Harley let out a chuckle before replying, "See, that's where yer wrong. Ya may think that lockin' me up and throwin' away the key is the end, but I can see the truth in yer eyes—fight, struggle, survival. Ya won't admit it ta yerself, but ya enjoy our little pow-wows. It brings out uh side of ya that cha never knew existed. All I'm interested in is the final outcome."

Without warning, the psychotic clown grabbed Laurel's wrist, twisted the knife out of her hand, and quickly injected a green-colored serum into her neck. As the brunette cried out in pain, Oliver shot an arrow at Harley, yet she stunned him when she caught it in her right hand.

"Didn't really think it was gonna be that easy, did ya?"

Harley jumped up and swiftly threw the arrow straight back at him, stabbing him just below the collar bone. Oliver gasped out from the pain, but he quickly removed the arrow and applied pressure to the wound, blood starting to flow.

"How's that for uh taste of yer own medicine?"

She suddenly felt something hard hit her in the back and she fell to her knees. Laurel stood above her with a metal pipe in her hands. "You tell me."

The villainess spotted the knife her opponent had lost only a few moments earlier, but the lawyer was too quick for her this time. She slammed her right foot down on Harley's hand and kicked the knife away so it was no longer within reach. Using her left foot, Laurel flipped the evildoer onto her backside, grabbed her white collar and lifted her high up off the ground that their eyes met.

"You're finished, Harley."

Unfazed by her words, the jester-clad woman smirked at her before replying, "I would be uh lot less worried about me and uh lot more worried about Daddy Dearest if I was ya."

Perplexed, Laurel saw Harley pull out a small handheld remote. Her eyes widened as panic and concern for her father's safety suddenly hit her. She whirled around, looked up and found a homemade bomb attached to the roof—which hung directly above Quentin's lifeless body. The attorney turned back around to stop her nemesis from activating the bomb, but it was too late! Harley pressed the big red button on the remote and Laurel screamed out—

"_DAD!_"

Without a second thought, she ran straight to her father's side and used her body as a shield in order to protect him. Oliver, despite his injury, followed in suit and wrapped himself around her body just milliseconds before the rubble came pouring down on top of them like a heavy rainstorm. Laurel closed her eyes tightly and held onto her father, praying that they would be all right.

Meanwhile, Harley stood off to the sideline, smiling in satisfaction while she watched the scene before her unfold. When the last of the debris had fallen, the dust started to settle, and no one had made any sudden movement, she giggled and began skipping away like a carefree girl playing in a vast meadow.

"Catch ya later, alligators!"

Moments later, Laurel finally opened her eyes and, ignoring the cuts and scrapes she had accumulated from the wreckage, checked on her father's condition. To her relief, he appeared mostly unscathed. Grateful, she then turned her attention to the mysterious vigilante who had come to her aid once again. With a nasty gash on his forehead and the green hood removed from his face, Laurel's heart skipped a beat when she looked down and saw that the unconscious man in front of her was none other than—

"_Ollie…_"


End file.
